The largest AI data centre in Australia is proposed for a cattle feedlot at Kogan, 37km from Dalby on the Western Downs. It is being built by Singaporean developer Zerra DC, and Anthropic has signed on as its first tenant. This is not just a local issue. It is a national one.

At full build-out the site would draw as much power as 1.5 million Australian homes, or about a quarter of Queensland's daily electricity use, according to the ABC. Nationals leader David Littleproud has already called for a duplicated 750MW Kogan Creek coal-fired power station to supply it. That is a backward step in an era where we are striving towards clean energy.

Let's not forget, no community asked for this.

The development is still before Western Downs Regional Council. The Queensland Government controls the power stations and transmission lines that would feed it, and the Premier personally brokered the Anthropic deal on his US trade mission. These are the people who can say no, or set conditions.

We are asking Western Downs Regional Council to refuse the application unless the data centre is powered by new renewable generation and storage, not new coal or gas. We are asking the Queensland Government to rule out building or extending coal-fired power to supply it. And we are asking Anthropic to pause its lease until those conditions are met.

Regulation is key in the AI boom, it starts here.

Our land, our water and our power bills are not a sacrifice zone for the AI boom. Sign this petition to demand accountability from the council, the state and the corporations that profit from this project.

Image source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-16/queensland-data-centre-anthropic-dalby/107160640